Pivot pin assemblies which are utilized for pivotal attachment of a bucket to the boom arms of a loader are exposed to a very hostile environment due to the abrasive nature of materials being handled by the bucket and the close proximity of such assemblies to those materials. In addition, such pivot pin assemblies are subjected to severe loading as a result of manipulation of the bucket and the loader vehicle in order to fill the bucket with the material being handled and to then extricate the material from the bucket, often requiring the intentional imposition of shock loading in order to vibrate the bucket and thereby dislodge any material adhering to it. The seals and bearings or bushing utilized in such pivot pin assemblies will have a life expectancy which is less than the loader vehicle itself. It is therefore desirable to provide a pivot pin assembly in which the seals and/or bearings can be readily replaced.
The pivot pin assemblies of the prior art, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,997,274 and 4,096,957, have incorporated collets, which are expensive to manufacture because of their shape and the relatively close tolerances required, or have been welded at both ends making repair thereof extremely difficult or impractical.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a pivot pin assembly which has a self-contained lubricant reservoir, which may be disassembled and reassembled with relative ease, and in which the seals and bearings are serviceable.
It is also an object of this invention to provide such a pivot pin assembly which is capable of tolerating side thrust loads and which provides lubricant to the bearing area for taking the side loads in its entirety.
It is another object of this invention to provide a pivot pin assembly with a self-contained lubricant capability which has a double reservoir and which may be filled with ease.